Indicator for mailing or similar boxes



No. 750,519. PATEN'IED JAN. 26, 1904.

J. BOOTH.

INDICATOR FOR MAILING AND SIMILAR BOXE APPLICATION YILED APR.12. 1900.

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TH: nonms Parana co, wow-nwo.. wx mmm r UNITED STATES I Patented January 26, 1904.-

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BOOTH, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PETER H. CORR, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDICATOR FOFI MAILING OR SIMILAR BOXES.

SPEQIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,519, dated January 26, 1904.

Serial No. 12,564. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BOOTH, of 119 Weir street, in the city of Taunton, county of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mailing or Similar Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to a box for receiving mail or other articles supplied with a c0mbined indicator and detector comprising a time-dial contained in a case preferably attached to the front of the box and having a transparent door or cover through which the dial is observed and an indicator-hand which is adapted to be turned from within the box only and after the box has been opened. I prefer also that the door or cover to the case be so secured to the box that it may not be opened or unlatched except from the interior of the box and after it has been opened. A mail-receiving box of this character is of special value in that it affords means whereby the times of collecting mail may be readily observed, also because it provides means whereby the time of the next delivery in order is indicated by the indicator-hand, also because the position of the hand cannot be changed unless the box has been opened for the removal of the mail and by the authorized collector and that any remiss upon his part to properly collect the mail will be shown by the position of the indicator, it being the duty of the collector upon the removal of the mail and before closing the box to move the indicator to indicate the hour of the next collection.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a mail-collecting box having my invention, the door being shown in open position by dotted outline. Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section upon the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in vertical section, illustrating a slight modification in the manner of attaching the indicator-frame to the box, hereinafter described.

I have represented the invention as applied to the usual type of mail-receiving box employed in the United States and having a com- 1ined door and receptacle at one end of the lIteferring to the drawings, A represents such a ox.

B is the opening through which the contents of the box are removed by the collector. B' is the door for opening and closing said opening. This door is normally closed and locked, and the key is carried by the collector.

O represents the indicator and detector. It is located upon the front of the box, and it preferably comprises a frame or border o, which may be integral with the box and which incloses a space or panel o', in which is a dial c2, preferably removable. Upon this dial the hours for the collection of mail are printed. There is used inconnection with this dial and contained in this space an indicating-hand c3, arranged to point to any desired hour and which .is mounted upon the outer end of the arbor ci, which extends through the box 4A into the interior Al thereof and is adapted to be turned from the interior of the box preferably, being provided with an enlargement 05, by which it may be conveniently manipulated. The collector upon opening the door B' and removing the mail from the box then turns the indicator from Within the box to change the position of the indicating-hand to the next Y hour of collection and then closes and locks the door. The dial and indicating-hand are inaccessible from the exterior of the box, being covered by the door D, having hinges Z riveted or bolted to the door and to the box and a transparent pane CZ', preferably of plateglass, through which the dial and indicator may be seen, and a latch di, which extends through the front of the box A to the interior thereof, latches thereon and is accessible only from the interior of the box and prevents the door covering the dial and indicator from being opened by any but an authorized person, and then only by iirst unlocking the main door B to the box.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the cover to the case as fastened to the box by bolts which pass through the cover and front of the box and have nuts upon the inside of the box.

While I have described the invention as applicable to mail-collecting boxes, Iwould not be understood as limiting it to such use, but may employ it in connection with any receiving box or receptacle and for any use analogous to that described.

I prefer that the dial be removable from the panel or recess containing it in order that others having a different arrangement of hours or other information may be substituted therefor. I also prefer that the dial have a relatively large central hole in order that there may be exposed the words Hand points or similar directions printed, stenciled, or otherwise applied to a card back of the dial-card or upon the face of the box itself. In the drawings I have illustrated as upon a separate card. The dial-card in addition to the printed words may have such other information printed thereon as may be desirable.

It will be noted that the dial-card is arranged with two parallel vertical columns of figures, so that all the hours of collection may be easily read and at the same time the hour at which the next collection is to take place may be indicated by the index-hand. This is a great advantage, as where the figures are placed in the ordinary manner about a circle while the next hour of collection may be easily read the observer cannot ata glance determine, as one often desires to do, the other hours at which the box is opened.

The time-card is made removable in order that other cards of different time arrangements may be substituted. The card bearing the words Hand and Points is preferably a xed one. The opening in each time-card is of a diameter less than twice the length of the indicator-hand, and, said opening is bordered by a circular line which is coincident with the line described by the point Vof, the indicator. The horizontal lines upon the indicator-card forming spaces for the hours extend to the circular line, and this provides the indicator with a structure whereby the point of the hand may always be turned to point directly against the space containing the hour of collection.

Having thus fully described my invention, II claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- An indicator for mail and other boxes, the same comprising an indicator-hand adapted to be turned at will and an indicator-card having in it for disclosing indications of a permanent nature a circular hole of a radius less than the length of the indicator-hand so that the end of the indicator-hand shall extend over it, and horizontal lines extending from the circular hole upon each side thereof and forming spaces for receiving figures indicating times of collection, and said figures columnally arranged in such spaces, the spaces and the end of the indicator-hand so coperating that the end of the indicator-hand may always be moved over the inner end of a space.

, JAMES BOOTH.

In presence of- ABBOTT W. LEONARD, HAROLD F. HATHAWAY. 

